When it comes to emotional experience, for whatever reason, Keralites are rather reticent or even mute. It is hard for them to show optimum, let alone adequate emotional, responses to such situations. This is more obvious in euphoric situations like the presence of film stars or sports heroes. Just like the people in any other Indian state, they too admire them with awe but somehow they abstain from expressing it. But this was disproved during the former Chief Minister Pudupally MLA Oommen Chandy’s passage of rites. It is a fact on record that never in the history of Kerala has such a large number of people participated in a mourning procession day and night for the passing away of any person or leader. The scenes where young and old people paid tribute to a leader regardless of caste, religion, or political difference, changed many of our prejudices.

Judging by the public work of Oommen Chandy spanning six decades, it is not easy to find a politician as shrewd and insightful as him. Meanwhile, as a representative of the people, Oommen Chandy reached out to the people without boundaries, liked them, and heard and resolved their grievances and demands. His immense patience sets him apart from other politicians. Through his own life, he taught how people's representatives and leaders should be.

No one would have guessed that this young man had come to set a world record when he entered the maiden contest in Puthupally, a constituency where the communists had the upper hand. That victory journey that started in 1970 in Puthupally continued till 2021. Meanwhile, 12 opposition candidates bowed out in front of Oommen Chandy. He became Finance Minister, Home Minister and Chief Minister of Kerala. Even then public relations were well maintained. Every time he held a position, the administrative achievements added more and more feathers to his cap.

In 1977 itself a host of great projects were launched: unemployment benefits were granted to 1.5 lakh people, Porters Welfare Act , free cochlear implantation scheme, Karunya scheme for the poor who are terminally ill, Vizhinjam Port, Kannur Airport, Dubai Internet City coordinated with Kochi Smart City, E. Sreedharan was put in charge of Metrorail, Alappuzha Bypass, Tunjathezhuttachchan University institution, the order to make Malayalam the first language, the list is pretty long. The public relations program started by Oommen Chandy won him the UN award. It became a benchmark for other politicians.
The restraint and composure he showed when opposition politicians and members of his own party tried to entangle him in the solar case is unforgettable. Even when the Crime Branch and the CBI acquitted him without finding any evidence, he remained unconcerned. No resentment or dislike was shown to anyone. Such qualities must have made Oommen Chandy popular with people regardless of his shrewd politics.

The death of Oommen Chandy is an irreparable loss for the expatriates, especially the American Malayalees. Oommen Chandy was able to understand and solve the problems of every expatriate Malayali. That evening when the news of his death was made official, Malayalee associations in various cities of America expressed their respect and love for the beloved leader in a condolence meeting. Just like in Kerala, large groups of Malayalees gathered to mourn the death of this leader in the US.

During 2018-20, Oommen Chandy also participated in the online meeting in New Jersey where I, who was the president of Fokana, a model organization of American Malayalis, stepped down and handed over power to the new office bearers. While inaugurating the ceremony, Oommen Chandy wished that "the activities of Fokana, an association of American Malayali organizations, will always be a model for expatriate organizations and that Fokana will continue to be active among the people with more activities".

He also personally congratulated me for the charity work and free housing projects Fokana had done for Kerala at a time when the world was affected by Covid. The warm moments spent with him often left an indelible imprint on the personality of the man called Oommen Chandy. Oommen Chandy will forever live in the people's minds as an exemplary example of how a public servant should be.

* (Writer is former President of FOKANA and Chairman of NAMAM (USA))